Approval rates
Judge Gray’s approval performance is measured against the broader context of the New York Varick Hearing Office and national standards. During the latest reporting period, the judge maintained an 80% approval rate, which sits 7 points above the office average and 20 points above the national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 17,873 lifetime decisions, providing a stable view of historical trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Gray's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a 10-year tenure, Judge Gray has demonstrated a consistent approach to SSDI claims. The yearly trend shows a steady pattern of approvals, with recent data from 2024 and 2025 showing rates of 83% and 81% respectively. This indicates that the judge’s decision-making has remained stable even as case volumes fluctuate. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, suggesting that the judge’s approach to evaluating disability evidence remains consistent for those appearing before the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Gray's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Gray? A free benefit check tells you if you qualify.
Check My BenefitsAbout the New York Varick hearing office
The New York Varick Hearing Office serves a large population across the New York region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 71%. You can expect a rigorous review process where the quality of medical evidence is the primary driver of the outcome. You can see the New York Varick Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment is essentially random. Within the New York Varick Hearing Office, individual lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 43% to 83%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. You can view the full office roster on the New York Varick Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.